REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
AND RECORD OF ACTION
July 26, 2022
FROM
LEONARD X. HERNANDEZ, Chief Executive Officer, County Administrative Office
DAN MUNSEY, Fire Chief/Fire Warden, San Bernardino County Fire Protection District
SUBJECT
Title
Memorandum of Understanding and Side Letter Agreement with Teamsters Local 1932, Representing Employees in the Fire Auxiliary Unit and Fire Auxiliary Supervisory Unit
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Acting as the governing body of the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District:
1. Approve the Memorandum of Understanding between San Bernardino County Fire Protection District and Teamsters Local 1932, representing employees in the Fire Auxiliary Unit and Fire Auxiliary Supervisory Unit, for a term of July 26, 2022 through July 31, 2023.
2. Approve a Side Letter Agreement between San Bernardino County Fire Protection District and Teamsters Local 1932, representing employees in the Fire Auxiliary Unit and Fire Auxiliary Supervisory Unit, for a term of July 26, 2022 through July 31, 2023.
(Presenter: Diane Rundles, Director, 387-5570)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Create, Maintain and Grow Jobs and Economic Value in the County.
Improve County Government Operations.
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Ensure Development of a Well-Planned, Balanced, and Sustainable County.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Estimated costs from the proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which are reflected in the table below, will be funded through departmental revenue of the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (SBCFPD) and through the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost) allocated to the Office of Emergency Services.
|
|
Funding Source |
|
Fiscal Year |
Estimated Total Costs |
SBCFPD |
Net County Cost |
|
2022-23 |
$561,000 |
$516,000 |
$45,000 |
|
Ongoing (2023-24 and thereafter) |
$879,000 |
$807,000 |
$72,000 |
Appropriation for the costs of this MOU will be included in the 2022-23 Mid-Year Budget Report, if needed, and future recommended budgets for approval by the Board of Directors (Board).
The MOU also includes a one-time cost of approximately $285,000 for COVID-19 premium bonus pay. This cost is expected to be funded through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, contingent upon the cost being eligible under ARPA guidelines.
Approval of this item also includes a Side Letter Agreement for COVID-19 Leave Bank for employees in the classification of EMS Training Supervisor. The financial impact from this Side Letter Agreement will be minimal. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the SBCFPD 2022-23 budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In May 2022, representatives of SBCFPD, under direction of the Board, and representatives of Teamsters Local 1932 (Teamsters) began the meet and confer process to negotiate a successor MOU that provides wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment for employees in the Fire Auxiliary Unit and Fire Auxiliary Supervisory Unit (Units). After several bargaining sessions, the parties reached agreement on the proposed following economic terms of the MOU:
• A 4% across-the-board increase effective the pay period following Board approval, and a 3% across-the-board increase effective February 25, 2023 (Teamsters has the option to defer 1% and 0.5% of the increases, respectively, for a retiree medical trust)
• Targeted Equities to address compaction
• Increase to Medical Premium Subsidy
• COVID-19 Premium Pay Bonus to all classifications
• Administrative changes to the eligibility for Medical and Dental Plan Coverage and Medical Emergency Leave
The COVID-19 Leave Bank is a new program that was implemented last year. Since it was not an on-going program, it was not part of the negotiations and the parties agreed to not include the Side Letter Agreement in this MOU.
Teamsters notified SBCFPD that the Units ratified the proposed MOU. Therefore, the proposed MOU will, if approved, constitute a successor labor agreement between SBCFPD and Teamsters covering wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment through July 31, 2023.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Cynthia O’Neill, Principal Assistant County Counsel, 387-5455) on July 21, 2022; Human Resources (Diane Rundles, Director, 387-5570) on July 12, 2022; Human Resources (Leonardo Gonzalez, Deputy Director/Labor Chief, 387-5568) on July 8, 2022; Finance (Tom Forster, Administrative Analyst, 387-4635) on July 21, 2022; and County Finance and Administration (Matthew Erickson, County Chief Financial Officer, 387-5423) on July 21, 2022.